Every month or so, I head up to the Manx Radio studios on Douglas Head (overlooking Douglas Bay, right) together with local author and publisher Linda Mann, to talk books with Bob Harrison, host of the Evening Extra show. We chat for half an hour or so about what we're up to. We talk about the books we've been reading. And we discuss the bestselling books on the Isle of Man.
The bestsellers list is something Linda compiles with the help of a number of local book shops, and I always find it interesting. You'll often find the same books and authors appearing that crop up on the bestseller lists in the UK. You'll also find a number of book club choices. But as well as those, there's a thriving local publishing scene, and the top books often reflect that. Take this month's top 5:
1. A Brief History of the Isle of Man - Sara Goodwins
2. Pitkins PA - Ann Axe (This is a memoir written by the personal assistant of the late Sir Norman Wisdom, a long-time resident of the Isle of Man)
3. Started Early, Took My Dog - Kate Atkinson
4. Caught - Harlan Coben
5. The Houses and Gardens of Baillie Scott - Ian MacDonald Smith
Two local books from small publishers top the list. And this time round, 8 of the top 20 bestselling titles are local interest books about the Isle of Man. So it's an interesting mix, and it's good to see book buyers supporting Manx publishers in this way. I'm sure regional publishers put out good and topical content in most places throughout the UK, but the scene does seem particularly vibrant on the Isle of Man. Go into a local book shop and you'll find books on Manx cookery, Manx history, Manx geography, Manx culture, Manx fairytales, the famous TT races and much more besides. (And now that I think of it, maybe I'll post something here soon about some of the local legends and fairytales that swirl around the island, because some of them are pretty weird...)
As for the books I've been reading, I talked about a couple I've really enjoyed. The first is Christopher Isherwood's Goodbye to Berlin, a fascinating memoir of 1930s Berlin, which inspired the movie Cabaret. And the other is Philip Kerr's Berlin Noir, a collection of Kerr's first three Bernie Gunther novels (March Violets, The Pale Criminal and A German Requiem). I'm part way through the final novel in the collection, but I'm pacing myself, because I've been enjoying the books so much. I don't read a lot of historical crime, but I really admire the way Kerr has thrown Gunther into the world of 1930s and 40s Berlin, and the clever use the books make of historical figures from the pre and post war era. But most of all I love Kerr's Chandleresque narration, and the gritty, noirish depiction of a Berlin where sometimes good deeds have to be done for bad people, and where Gunther's struggle to make a living as a jobbing private eye is harder than it has any right to be.
Thank you for taking the time to write about the radio talk. Do you know how many listeners you had? I'm just wondering cause I haven't listened to the radio for ages and I know a lot of people who haven't either. I hope, though, you had many.
Your beststellers list made me check with one of our local bookstores (in Hannover, Germany): None of the books on it was written by a local author. Instead you find - among others - Simon Beckett (3 Books), Stéphane Hessel and the Pope. Nevertheless, there some local authors writing books situated in their hometown, but I have to admit I haven't read any of them. Maybe I should...
And please, do post about Manx fairytales and legends when you find the time.
Posted by: Sabine aka @MsElliePhant | March 17, 2011 at 05:33 AM
Hi Sabine. I'm not sure exactly how many listeners the show gets, but Manx Radio is a popular station on the island, and it's the equivalent of a BBC regional station in the UK (there's no BBC radio on the Isle of Man). We're well served over here - there are at least three radio stations on the island, although Manx Radio is probably the most established.
Interesting what you say about local authors in your local shops. I guess the fact that we're an island plays a part in this - maybe it's an island mentality kind of thing?
And I will post something about fairytales and superstitions etc in the next week or so
Posted by: Chris | March 17, 2011 at 09:34 PM